


My Taste in Music is Your Face

by catefrankie



Category: Veronica Mars (Movie 2014), Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bands, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, yet another weird rivalry AU from yours truly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 20:25:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9341795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catefrankie/pseuds/catefrankie
Summary: And more than anything else, the young bands are aware that until you become established, every other young band is the enemy.  Their gigs are gigs which you did not get, their fans are people who ought to like you better, and although you and they are both passionate about the same thing, you’re even more passionate about pounding them into the dust, professionally speaking.The warring bands AU nobody asked for.





	

The festival circuit is an odd thing, Mac muses. On the one hand, there’s all the established bands, local favorites who have played the same slot for the last three decades and can bring in the same, dedicated crowd that they’ve been bringing in since the first time they picked up their instruments, probably. Everyone knows just what to expect, and nothing is at stake; the whole affair is basically an excuse to meet up with the rest of the music community, drink beer, and gossip about who bought which new obscenely expensive instrument. 

But on the other hand, there’s the new bands, the _young_ bands. They spend the entire festival in a state of righteous indignation about the quality of the stage and the time slot they’ve been given. They have maybe two or three loyal fans per band member, and every single gig feels like life or death for whether the band will be able to “make it” in some vague sense which has never been defined. And more than anything else, the young bands are aware that _until_ you become established, every other young band is the enemy. 

Their gigs are gigs which you did not get, their fans are people who ought to like you better, and although you and they are both passionate about the same thing, you’re even more passionate about pounding them into the dust, professionally speaking. 

That is, unless any of the other bands are watching, in which case you are the best of friends.

“I heard you guys booked the Foundry stage for the Blueberry Festival next month!” Veronica says, her smile pasted on, in a tone which can only be described as ‘aggressively enthused’. Mac is trying to help Wallace untangle mic cords, and they exchange a wry look. Parker, on the other hand, seems prepared to take the sudden personality transplant at face value.

“That’s great!” Parker says, genuine and oblivious. “You must be so thrilled.” 

“Completely thrilled,” Logan drawls in response, still locked in eye contact with Veronica. “They had us at the High Ground stage last year, and we barely got any foot traffic. Good thing the organizers came by and were really impressed, or we’d be stuck there again.”

Mac drops a mic cord half-untangled and takes a hasty step forward to link elbows with Veronica. “Good for you,” she tells Logan. “It’s always nice when hard work pays off.”

He grins, obviously seeing through her sad attempt at peace-making, asks anyway, “Where’d they put you guys?” 

Mac laughs in the best imitation of care-free confidence that she can muster. “Oh, High Ground.” 

“But _we’ve_ got enough actual fans that we don’t need to rely on foot traffic,” Veronica snaps. Mac elbows her, and Veronica belatedly adds a laugh.

Logan just raises his eyebrows. “Yeah, between Ronnie’s dad and your _very_ enthusiastically supportive family, Cindy, I guess that’s a solid start for an audience.” Before Veronica can follow up on her outraged gasp, he jerks his chin at Parker. “And who’s the new girl?”

“Bassist,” Veronica spits. “Parker.” 

Parker cheerfully offers a hand, which Logan kisses. “I sing a little backup too,” she adds modestly, “but I’ve got nowhere near as good a voice as Veronica.”

Logan smiles with exaggerated fondness. “Isn’t she something, our Veronica Mars?” 

“Something different than you are, that’s for sure,” says Veronica.

Mac looks at her sideways in consternation; Veronica has always had difficulty with being passive-aggressive, much preferring the straightforwardness of simple aggression, and so her subtle, quasi-polite comebacks tend to turn nonsensical after prolonged exposure to Logan. Mac clears her throat and changes the subject. “Where’s the rest of your band, Echolls?”

He shrugs, gestures vaguely. “We had a slot a half hour ago, and we don’t play again till the finale tonight. So, drinking, probably.” 

“Surprised you’re not with them,” Veronica says. 

But Logan only smirks, with the attitude of one who has just had a lightbulb go off. “I would be, but then I thought,” he adopts a sing-song voice, “why drink with the same four people I always drink with, when I could go find my favorite angry girl band – and their loyal sound guy, of course, Fennel – and all drink together?”

Mac laughs nervously, but is too late to the generic excuse. “That sounds like _so_ much fun!” Parker says. 

Logan winks at her. “Fantastic. See you guys by the brewery tent in ten?”

“I’ll see you in hell,” Veronica mutters. 

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” Mac answers tiredly. “We’ll see you there.”

He laughs, gives her a two-fingered salute and blows Parker a kiss, and wanders off to schmooze a passing well-respected fiddler. 

“He seems nice!” Parker comments.

Veronica explodes. “He is _not_ nice, he’s _psychotic_!”

Mac shuts her eyes. “Here we go.”

“And, he’s a _jackass_.”

“Do you think they have musician discounts this year?” Wallace wonders.

“ _And_ – he is _not even that good of a guitarist_!”

Mac sighs, then takes both of Veronica’s hands in hers. “I know. But they’re not called The Dynasties for nothing, and it is my responsibility as unofficial band manager to remind you that we won’t be doing ourselves any favors by alienating them. Besides, you like Carrie and Lilly, and Dick is…” She trails off.

“Probably already too trashed to be any nuisance?” Wallace supplies.

“Yes, that.”

Veronica narrows her eyes. “We just stay for one drink?” 

“That’s all I ask.”

Veronica looks pained. “Okay. But I’m going to sit with Weevil.”

Wallace cracks up. “Come on, girl. While I respect the complete lack of logic behind befriending the terrifying ex-con sound guy rather than the kids of the people who own the music business in this town, wouldn’t it just be easier for you to drag Logan behind the main stage and make out with him during the Weedwhacker set? Get it out of the way so the anticipation doesn’t kill us for the rest of the weekend?”

Parker’s head snaps around and she looks at Veronica expectantly, immediately delighted. “Wait, what?”

Veronica points a shaking finger in Wallace’s face. “Okay, first of all, Weedwhacker Haircut are a bunch of hacks and I would never make out to their shitty excuse for music. And second, _that was one time_.”

Mac grins, slings an arm around her friend’s neck. “Come on, Mars, cheer up, and let’s go fraternize with the enemy.”

**Author's Note:**

> The lovely people at VMHQ said to write short fics, and I’ve had the band lineups for this AU rattling around in my head for a while, so here it is. Wrote it in an afternoon, so it's pretty unpolished, be kind.
> 
> Veronica and co have an angry girl punk band (possibly named True Image??) in which Veronica plays guitar and sings, Parker plays bass and sings backup, and Mac does everything else on her laptop; songwriting is a joint effort. The Dynasties are more slacker rock; Logan plays guitar and occasionally sings, Lilly sings and does most of the stage banter, Carrie plays keyboard, guitar, sings, and writes most of their stuff, and Dick plays drums and isn’t even allowed to have a microphone. I was going to let Piz be involved with one or the other in a roadie/band mom capacity, but then I didn’t feel like it.
> 
> Thanks to mademoisellesarcasme on tumblr for “Weedwhacker Haircut”. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Here I am on tumblr, come talk to me!](%E2%80%9Ccatefrankie.tumblr.com%E2%80%9D)


End file.
